Fillmore, WI – Rains had passed through overnight in the small farming community of Fillmore. The grass was wet, but the sun was up early Saturday and temps were at a steamy 70 degrees as a hearty group of volunteers set to work cleaning, trimming, and hauling brush from St. Martin’s Union Cemetery on CTH H in Washington County, WI.
“We’re not just cleaning up a cemetery,” said organizer and Cemeterian Rex Melius. “We’re preserving history and honoring those who have gone before us. It’s a community service, and a labor of love…. but it’s not for the faint of heart.”
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Volunteers jumped into action wielding chainsaws and hefting branches. The business end of rakes and shovels were put to use as an overgrown cemetery started to transform.
Although box elder trees were removed and hanging branches cut back, Melius said there’s definitely more to do. “We have some painstaking work ahead fixing some headstones and righting others,” he said.
If you would like to get involved contact the Cemeterians on Facebook. Click HERE to get a hold of Rex Melius.
Fillmore, WI – A full team of volunteers will be in action April 27, 2024, as Spring Clean-Up will get underway at St. Martin’s Union Cemetery in Fillmore. This is the eighth year for the event led by Cemeterian Rex Melius.
“When I first started doing the clean ups, it was in the Slinger area,” said Melius. “But it’s always been mainly Washington County because there’s so much work here.”
“The main reason I got this event going is because of all the trees growing up around and swallowing the headstones and disassembling the graves,” said Melius.
As the day progresses the cemetery will begin to transform. Trees that once threatened to consume headstones will be trimmed back, and once-neglected graves will stand tall once more.
The cleanup is not just about physical labor. It was about honoring the memory of those who came before, ensuring their final resting places are treated with the respect and dignity.
